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Search parties have successfully guided all of the last hikers near the eastern slopes of Mount Everest in the Tibet region to safety, including scores of native guides and yak herders, local government stated. This marks the end one of the most extensive rescue and recovery missions ever undertaken in the area.

Large-Scale Rescue Operation Completed

Numerous of hikers were became trapped in thick snow over the recent weekend in the remote Karma valley, after an exceptionally intense snowstorm dumped substantial snowfall across the area.

Snow persisted all day Saturday in the valley, which is located at an typical altitude of 4,200 meters (13,800 feet). By Sunday, rescuers had led approximately 350 hikers to security.

Earlier reports had estimated that the remaining roughly 200 travelers were expected to reach a secure area by Tuesday.

In total, 580 trekkers, coupled with more than 300 local guides, animal handlers, and other support staff were evacuated, according to authoritative reports released on Tuesday evening.

Those Rescued Describe Extreme Situations

One Chinese hiker described how their group had been “too scared to sleep” on Saturday, as snow rapidly accumulated around their tents, compelling them to shovel it every 90 minutes. They chose to move to lower ground on Sunday as the situation worsened.

“On the way, we came across our guide’s father, who had set out for him. That’s when we realized the snow was deep in the valley, too; community members, not able to contact their children on the mountain, were extremely worried.”

Expedition Plans Disrupted

The blizzard also hindered the plans of alpinists led by a United States mountaineering company to ascend Cho Oyu, an 8,188-meter (26,864-foot) peak on the border between China and Nepal.

Visitor Increase in the Area

Karma valley was first discovered by western travelers a hundred years ago. In the past few years, with the expansion of the Everest region in Tibet as a prominent tourism attraction, the area has brought in an increasing number of visitors. More than 540,000 sightseers explored the Everest region last year, establishing a unprecedented number.

Area Remains Off-Limits

The Everest region is still temporarily inaccessible to the general public, including the Karma and Rongshar valleys, as well as Cho Oyu.

Wider Impact

The intense snowfall over the weekend also impacted many of travelers in other parts of the western regions of China, including Xinjiang, Qinghai, and Gansu. Sadly, at least one traveler died, due to a mix of low body temperature and altitude sickness.

Unusual Weather

October is typically a busy season for the area, with normally clear and moderate weather, but one member of an 18-person trekking group that made it back to Qudang remarked that the weather this year was “atypical.”